Posts Tagged ‘Jesus

One of the themes of God’s Word is that of using what we have to bless others. God gives gifts to His people through His Holy Spirit. Whether they are spiritual gifts, talents, abilities or financial resources, we should use them as tools to serve others. Peter wrote:

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. – 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

The gifts we receive are expressions of God’s grace to us. God, in His wonderful grace, gives us gifts instead of what we deserve, which is nothing. We are all sinners who deserve nothing because of our sinfulness. But God, in His love and grace, gives us wonderful gifts. He provides for our every need. What should we do with these gifts? Use them to serve and bless others. The point of being a follower of Jesus is to look more like Him. What did Jesus do? He loved, served and forgave others. We should do the same.

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Jesus commanded His followers to share the good news about Him with the entire world. He said to make more disciples everywhere we go. This way no one has to miss out on eternal life unless they choose to reject Jesus Christ. Then, they will be judged by God and condemned for all eternity. Those who accept Christ’s offer of forgiveness will live forever with Him. Peter wrote:

For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead,so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. – 1 Peter 4:6 (NIV)

The reason that the good news was and continues to be preached is so that people will be saved from their sins. We will all stand before Jesus someday. We will all be judged for everything we’ve done while here on earth. Those who follow Jesus will be declared, “Not guilty.” We will go on to our reward in Heaven where we will live with Jesus forever. Amen.

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Peter wrote about the lifestyles of the pagans in chapter 4, verse 3 and said that they were surprised that the Christians wouldn’t join them in their behavior. The Christians once lived that way, but did not live that way anymore. Because they wouldn’t join in on their sinful ways, they persecuted the followers of Christ. Peter then wrote:

But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. – 1 Peter 4:5 (NIV)

Jesus is our Savior, but He is also our Judge. For those who trust Jesus for salvation, this is really good news. The One who will judge us is the One who died to save us. For those who persecute Christians, they don’t realize that Jesus takes it personally. When you persecute His family, you’re persecuting Jesus. Imagine standing before Him as your Judge when you’ve been persecuting His family. That’s a scary thought! We all have to give an account for how we’ve lived. Let’s live to share the love of Jesus with everyone we meet.

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When you decide to live for Jesus, it is indeed a huge choice with potentially painful consequences. Jesus promised that the world would hate His followers because it hated Him first. Living for Jesus can result in painful persecution. Peter talks about this in chapter 4. He writes:

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. – 1 Peter 4:1-2 (NIV)

When you start living for Jesus and are willing to suffer for Him, it means that you’re saying, “I’m done with sin.” In other words, it means that you’re going to go against the flow and live differently. You’re willing to suffer whatever consequences may come as a result of your choice. Instead of living for selfish, human desires, you’re going to live for God. The world will not persecute its own, but it will persecute followers of Jesus. Are you willing to say, “Yes” to Jesus and be done with sin?

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Peter said in the first part of verse 21 in chapter 3 that we are saved when we get baptized. Baptism is the moment when God forgives our sins by grace through faith in Jesus. The water doesn’t save us. Peter says that we are saved by the resurrection of Jesus. He writes:

It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. – 1 Peter 3:21b-22 (NIV)

Jesus Christ was really dead when He was crucified by the Romans. God the Father raised Him back to life on the 3rd day by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus then appeared to hundreds of people and then ascended into Heaven where He rules and reigns at the right hand of the Father. Everything is in submission to Him. Until the day that He returns, His followers must share the message of His love with all who will listen so that they might believe, repent, confess and be baptized and live a faithful life.